Cell survival in chick embryo ciliary ganglion is reduced by chronic ganglionic blockade

Changes in the activities of enzymes involved in the synthesis or degradation of transmitters has been used as an index of maturation in autonomic neurons. In some cases, a reduction in enzyme activity during normal development may reflect decreased cell survival rather than, or in addition to, changes in the rate of development. Similarly, changes in enzyme activity following experimental manipulation during development may also reflect cell loss. In the ciliary ganglion, biochemical indexes of development are altered after denervation, and after treatment with a ganglionic blocker, chlorisondamine. Surgical removal of afferents to the ciliary ganglion in the early chick embryo results in a virtually complete loss of ganglion cells. Chiappinelli et al. have reported that choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) is reduced in chick iris and ciliary ganglion after chronic treatment with chlorisondamine (on days 5, 8, 10 and 13 of incubation). This suggests that the development of transmitter enzymes may be regulated via interaction at the presynaptic site. Since they also report that chlorisondamine treatment reduced ganglionic dry weight, which could reflect a loss of cells, it may be that the same synaptic interaction governs cell survival as well as enzyme maturation. The present study provides evidence that treatment with chlorisondamine does, in fact, reduce cell survival in the ciliary ganglion.

Interactive effects of parity and early pup stress on the open field behavior of laboratory rats

Pups of primiparous and multiparous Sprague Dawley rats received 0-, 2-, or 5-min cold stress on Days 2-6 postpartun. Stressed offspring of primiparous mothers had shorter latencies to move in an open field than did control offspring of primiparous mothers. However, stressed offspring of multiparous mothers had longer latencies than did the controls. The results suggest differences in maternal responsiveness immediately following return of stressed pups to the nest.

Antigenic relationships between the typhus and spotted fever groups of rickettsiae

Paired sera from cases of epidemic typhus in Ethiopia and from probable cases of Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) in the United States were examined by microagglutination (MA) and microimmunofluorescence (micro-IF) tests for antibodies against Rickettsia prowazekii, Rickettsia typhi, Rickettsia canada, Rickettsia rickettsii, Rickettsia conorii and Ricksettsia akari. IgG and IgM antibodies against the various rickettsiae were titrated with specific fluorescein-conjugated anti-IgG and anti-IgM sera. Purified, particulate rickettsial antigens were employed in all tests. A majority of patients acutely ill with epidemic typhus produced both IgG and IgM antibodies against R. prowazekii, R. typhi and R. canada. Concurrently they produced IgG (but seldom IgM) antibodies against members of the spotted fever group. In contrast, patients ill with probably spotted fever, while producing IgG and IgM antibodies against R. rickettsii, R. conorii and R. akari, also produced both IgG and IgM antibodies with about equal frequency against members of the typhus group. It was concluded that a relatively broad antigenic relationship exists between rickettsiae of the typhus and spotted fever groups.

In-house staff designs energy-saving system

With a relatively small amount of money and a lot of ingenuity, an innovative engineering team developed a successful pilot program that resulted in substantial energy and dollar savings. Using commercially available component parts, the team designed a preventive maintenance and energy-saving microprocessor system that is especially geared toward the hospital setting.

Effect of handling on maternal behavior following return of pups to the nest

Handling rat pups during the 1st week after birth altered adult behavior in the open-field, whereas simply spearating the pups from their mothers during the same period produced differences in body weight at weaning. Observations of mother-infant interaction following pup treatment yielded different patterns of maternal behavior. Moreover, pups receiving early treatment were more active as adults in a novel environment and had a greater body weight at weaning. The quality of maternal care and the immediate effects of infantile stimulation on the mother-infant relation should be considered in specifying a mediating mechanism for the effects of early experience.

Serologic diagnosis of epidemic typhus fever

Microagglutination (MA), microcomplement-fixation (CF), indirect microimmunofluorescence (micro-IF) and Weil-Felix (WF) tests were compared for sensitivity and specificity in detection of antibodies against Rickettsia prowazekii and for serologic diagnosis of epidemic typhus fever. Paired sera from hospitalized Ethiopian patients suffering from febrile illness were examined. Purified particulate rickettsial antigens used in MA, CF and micro-IF tests were made from infected yolk sacs by differential centrifugation from molar NaCl and from NaCl-sucrose, D20=1.1491, pH 5.5. In sensitivity the tests ranked micro-IF greater than MA greater than CF greater than WF. Use of specific anti-IgG and anti-IgM sera in parallel micro-IF tests made it possible to differentiate cases of recrudescent epidemic typhus (Brill-Zinsser disease) from primary epidemic typhus cases. Antibodies reacting in high titer with R. canada were produced by 86% of patients with rising antibody titers against R. prowazekii.

Diminished reaction to a novel stimulus during amphetamine withdrawal in rats

This experiment determined whether reaction to a novel stimulus was diminished in a dose-dependent fashion following 8 consecutive days of d-amphetamine administration. Thirty-two male rats were injected with saline, 0.5, 2.5, or 5.0 mg/kg of d-amphetamine (each N = 8). On the ninth day, all animals received saline injections and were tested (a) in the presence of a novel stimulus, or (b) in the absence of a novel stimulus. Reaction to the novel stimulus varied inversely with the dose of d-amphetamine which had been received during the drug administration period. This reduction in reaction to the novel stimulus did not seem to depend on (a) the level of amphetamine-induced sterotypy at the end of the drug administration period (b) general reduction of activity, or (c) interference by drug-conditioned responses.

Telephone assessment of illness by practicing pediatricians

Telephone assessment of illness by 40 practicing pediatricians was studied using simulated complaints of cough, vomiting, diarrhea, or rash. Of a possible 370 standardized questions based on the American Academy of Pediatrics "Guidelines for telephone communications," only 194 were used. Crucial questions such as difficulty breathing with cough, the state of hydration in diarrhea, the character of the eruption in rash, or the presence of abdominal pain with vomiting were asked less than 50% of the time. Pediatricians in practice for fewer than five years requested more information and spent more time on the telephone than did those with greater than five years' experience.

Changed cholinergic receptor characteristics after vagotomy in gastric fistula dogs

By the use of small doses of atropine (0.2-10 mug/kg-h) the kinetics of atropine antagonism to the gastric stimuli Urecholine and pentagastrin could be defined in intact dogs and in dogs after fundic vagotomy. Though pentagastrin was a much less effective stimulus after vagotomy, atropine had very similar effects on the pentagastrin response before and after vagotomy. Stimulation of both acid and pepsin by Urecholine remained unchanged by vagotomy but was uncompetitively inhibited by atropine in the intact dog, suggesting irreversible binding of atropine to gastric cholinergic receptors. After vagotomy, however, atropine inhibited Urecholine competitively, suggesting that atropine was now bound reversibly to cholinergic receptors. These changes are analogous to those occurring in muscle after denervation and suggest the growth of new cholinergic receptors with changed characteristics after denervation of the stomach.

The "sick but slick" syndrome as a personality component of parents of battered children

Thirteen parents convicted in court of battering their children and 13 matched controls were administered a battery of personality tests, with significant differences obtained on 5 of 21 study variables. Battering parents appeared healthier on those instruments based on content validity, where the social desirability of the items is more obvious. They appeared more disturbed (i.e., psychopathic) on items based on concurrent or statistical validity. It was concluded that battering parents were psychopathically disturbed, but whenever possible presented a distorted picture of themselves as healthy and unlikely to abuse their children. This tendency has been labeled the "sick but slick syndrome."